Football Preview: Thomas Jefferson Gryphons vs. Shelby Golden Lions
Thomas Jefferson is 0-3 against Shelby since September of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Thomas Jefferson Gryphons are taking a road trip to square off against the Shelby Golden Lions at 7:00 p.m. That contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Kaiden Boyce and Tristan Tate.
Thomas Jefferson is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 61 points two weeks ago, they were much more limited against Bessemer City on Friday. They took a blow against the Yellow Jackets, falling 57-6. The Gryphons were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-0.
Meanwhile, Shelby never let their opponents score on Friday. They blew past Cherryville, posting a 70-0 victory on the road. That 70 point margin sets a new team best for the Golden Lions this season.
Lan Farmer had an outrageously good game as he threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns while completing 85.7% of his passes, and also punched in a rushing score. Tate was in the mix as well, providing Shelby with two touchdowns.
Shelby wouldn't let Cherryville keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Shelby can thank Justyn Ross and Nick Norris for forcing both of them. Another thorn in Cherryville's side was Noah Gartner, who picked up two sacks and made ten total tackles (6.0 for loss).
Thomas Jefferson now has a losing record at 2-3. As for Shelby, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-2.
Thomas Jefferson was dealt a bruising 75-8 loss at the hands of Shelby when the teams last played back in September of 2023. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Thomas Jefferson was down 68-8.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
